Album Review: Big Band of Boom - Big Band of Boom
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
When I see a band being labelled as orchestral/jazz/metal, and they back it up with a fabulous name such as Big Band of Boom, then there’s absolutely no way in hell that I’m passing up the opportunity to review it. The PR headline reads “Imagine the Kill Bill soundtrack played by Rage Against the Machine with an orchestra” and from the opening to the end, this is one long party, which we are all invited to.
The band itself are from Birmingham, consisting of twelve members, with trumpets, trombones, saxophones, bass, keyboards, guitars and drums, for our audible pleasure. It is like an explosion of sound, with too many references points to mention, but that big brass sound is magical. The album has 11 original songs and 2 covers, starting with the anthemic bounciness of “Stupid Filthy Rich”, which is laced with humour, and by the time you get that western sound ringing out during “Earthquake” you’ll be emotionally invested in this band.
You can sense they’ve crafted their live sound and produced it on the album, with main vocalist Josh Wunderlich, ably assisted on vocals by Tom Duffy and Tom Hyland, each taking their place in the spotlight with a range of harmonies. If you don’t like trombones and trumpets, then avoid this at all costs because it’s like a sunshine party in your eardrums and will make you want to dance across the room. They’ve deconstructed Pendulum’s “Propane Nightmares” in a fabulous way but it’s the cover of System of a Down’s “Toxicity” that really sticks out. It’s already a powerful song, but the screeching brass sounds give it more weight, followed by the softness of Wunderlich’s vocal.
The band have created a new breed of chaos, with sing along hooks, heavy riffs, punchy brass notes and soaring melodies, which “Energy Vampire” fully demonstrates. The horn sections were recorded with care and reinforced with real power, as their collective sound is sensational. However, it’s the genre mix that impresses me the most, as “Knock at the Door” offers something softer, more controlled with bits of swing in there for a delightful calmness.
“One Night Only” is a firework of a song and an invitation into their madcap world. There’s just so much happening in each track, it’s like they’ve used a palette of soundscapes to create their artistry. That smooth jazz sound comes to the fore on “Thanks Humans” that reminds me in parts of California’s Royal Crown Revue, and they end with “The Longest of Goodbyes” a song full of emotion that by the time it finishes, you’ll want to sit down in a darkened room and play it all again.
